


Wrong Direction

by TrueSoprano



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Genre: Age Difference, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, not really non-con but could be interpreted as such by some people
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-06-29 23:29:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15739503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrueSoprano/pseuds/TrueSoprano
Summary: It's been three weeks since Vreth defeated Dagoth Ur inside Red Mountain, and she's now safe in the Imperial City with Caius. But she hasn't even begun to come to terms with everything that happened.





	Wrong Direction

_The night thickened into black earth_  
_The ground sparked under my feet_  
_I didn't know the stars had tumbled down_  
_And that earth had turned into sky_

_____ _

__

__

___I should have understood_  
_I should have seen it coming_  
_The signs on the road have changed_  
_The fires on the mountain die_  
_-Amorphis_

____

____

***

Rain. So much rain.

Rain on wet stone. Everything was grey.

Vreth missed the smell of wet mushrooms. The sound of rain hitting lava, and the resulting steam. She never thought she’d miss Vvardenfell so much, especially now that she was safe in the Imperial City with Caius, without any Sixth House or Dagoth Ur threatening her.

But there was just so much grey. And wet. And buzzing. That nine-damned buzzing! And the lava contrasting against black stone, almost blinding her. 

Breathing heavily, she turned around, preparing to fight one of Dagoth’s minions she was sure was behind her. But it was just Caius, holding a plate of food.

“Fuck, I’m sorry…” she took the plate of scrambled chicken eggs and smoked Bruma cheese. She missed eating Kwama eggs and scuttle, but this was good enough. She began shoveling the food into her mouth, figuring her hunger was causing her to feel this way.

“Vreth, is everything all right?” Caius sat next to her. She nodded without stopping.

“Vreth. No it’s not. Be honest.”

She swallowed. “Why did you ask if you already have an answer for me?”

Caius let out a small laugh as Vreth returned to her food. “I’m worried about you, you know. I get that you’re not ready to talk about everything that happened, but…”

Vreth slid the plate away as she ate the last bite. “Honestly… everything was such a blur. I hardly remember anything from the battle.”

Caius turned towards her, placing a hand on top of hers and rubbing gently. “I’m not surprised. Back when I was in the legion, I heard that a lot from other soldiers. I guess that’s just how we deal with killing.”

Killing. If only it were that simple. If only Dagoth was just an opposing soldier. Not a god. Not someone with… that kind of power.

“Caius… just… stay here. That’s all I need right now.”

He moved her hand to his lips and gave it a slow, tender kiss. “Of course,” he smiled against her knuckles. “Why would I ever want to leave you?”

***

_“Welcome, Moon-And-Star. To this place, where destiny is made.”_

_She froze. It was him. The man who haunted her dreams. Tainted by godhood, but it was still him, she could tell._

_“Nerevar. Speak to me. Do you come as a friend, or a traitor?”_

_Still frozen in place. She had wanted to make it quick, but she couldn’t. It was him. Dagoth Ur._

_Voryn Dagoth._

_Memories of a past life flooded her. Her past life? A spirit possessing her? Or just a god playing tricks on her mind? What were the dreams?_

_She managed to take a step forward, but felt even weaker. A massive chill hit her, despite the heat. Nerevar had died here._

_She had died here._

_Had she died here?_

_“Come closer, Nerevar.”_

_No. This was some trick. She just had to fight it. Stay strong. Focus her clouded mind._

_She had taken another step towards him without realizing it._

_And another. Why were her steps lighter now?_

_The pain. The bad memories. Her clouded mind. She had to focus it._

_She focused on him._

_He would make the pain go away. Just as he always did._

_No. Focus. She had to kill him. No. What was wrong with her mind? Bad memories, trying to take over._

_The sound of her claymore hitting the ground jolted her out of her thoughts. She was inches away from him. The years had changed him, but it was him._

_Him._

_“Voryn.”_

_The feel of that name on her lips was enough for the tears to take over. And she was soon taken into his arms, death and betrayal soon meaning nothing._

_“My sweet Nerevar. How I’ve missed you.”_

***

Vreth hated waiting. Impatience was in her nature. Unfortunately, waiting was all she seemed to do these days.

She listened to the combined sounds of the continuing rain and the crackling of the fireplace while gazing out into the darkness coming out of the window. Caius’s schedule was very irregular, the Emperor needing him at very random times, and she found herself wasting away a lot of time just waiting for him to come home. Sometimes it wouldn’t happen until she had fallen asleep, yet she still waited.

She wanted to explore the city. Despite spending almost her whole life in Cyrodiil, she hadn’t been to the city very many times, and now she had spent hours listening to Caius talk about his favorite places in the city, his eyes lighting up every time, and she was eager to explore herself. But she constantly found herself frozen in place every time she wanted to go outside.

So all she could do was wait. Wait for Caius to come home. Wait for her feet to work again. Wait for the rain to stop. Wait for the buzzing to stop. Wait for his voice to leave her head.

She didn’t notice it happen, but suddenly she was on the floor, curled into a ball, crying softly. The fireplace emitted a soothing orange glow, dancing flames casting shadows. Nothing like the eerie glowing red she thought she was looking at for a second.

It had been three weeks since that battle. Three weeks since she had destroyed the heart, destroyed him. And she hadn’t had any strange dreams since. So why was she so afraid? Afraid of seeing him every time she feel asleep, afraid of even turning around and seeing him while awake. 

She didn’t even hear the door open, or the wet shirt being tossed carelessly on the floor.

But his hand, still cold and damp from outside, was on her shoulder.

“Vreth.”

Everything was OK.

All of a sudden, everything was OK.

Sitting up, she turned around to look at him. Of course, his shirt was off the second he had gotten home, his well toned torso glowing in the firelight. If it weren’t for his thinning silver hair, he would have looked 10, maybe even 20 years younger than he actually was due to his physique.

“I’m here, Vreth.”

She practically launched herself into his arms, causing the two of them to almost lose balance. Yet she still held on tight, and he returned the  
embrace after balancing himself, pulling her close with his strong, protective arms.

“Caius!” she sobbed into him, holding him as if he would disappear if she didn’t. He rocked her back and forth in a steady rhythm, kissing the top of her head gently.

“Sshhh… I’m here, love. You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

***

_It must have been hours now. She had spent the past several hours in his arms, reminiscing about memories that weren’t even hers, yet in that moment they felt as real as anything else. He talked of godhood, of forbidden knowledge, of things he knew about her that she would have no way of knowing._

_But most of all, he showed her love._

_He didn’t mind her female body or her ashen skin. To Dagoth, it was no different than the golden male he had spent years, decades making love to. Apparently she reacted the same way to his touch, moaned the same way when he dragged his lips and fingers across her body. He had been awake for so long without him… without her… but it really was him._

_Indoril Nerevar._

_She was Indoril Nerevar._

_No._

_She was Vreth. She had always been Vreth._

_But all the memories that flooded back, all the tears when they kissed and their skin touched for the first time in over 1000 years._

_He slept peacefully beside her. Naked, unarmored, unmasked._

_Unaware._

_Unaware of the dagger she held above him._

_Vreth held the dagger._

_But Nerevar cried. Nerevar hugged him._

_Voryn, his old friend. Separated in death, yearned for in reincarnations._

_Finally in his arms._

_Her arms._

_Vreth was a normal girl with a modern life. She shouldn’t have been caught up in this. Would she be free after this?  
Would he be free?_

_Would they be reunited beyond this life?_

_“Voryn,” she whispered as she held him close, voice quaking. “Light of my life, my true love. My sweet Voryn. You don’t need to suffer anymore. Your Moon-and-Star is here now, with you forever.”_

_And soon his body was wet, wet with the tears she shed and with the blood spilling from his throat._

***

The two had moved to the couch, still locked in an embrace. Vreth rested her head against Caius’s collarbone, focusing on his slow breaths and fingers combing through her short auburn hair. She had stopped crying a while ago, but still felt the emotions pulsing through her.

“You’re sure you won’t be called in tomorrow?” Vreth’s voice croaked.

“Uri’s finally decided to actually talk to his sons about his succession,” Caius replied with a hint of annoyance. “He finally realized that using his spies isn’t gonna help him… listen, Vreth. I’ve sworn my life to him, but I just don’t think there’s a place in the Empire for me once he’s gone.”

Vreth didn’t know or care much about politics, but she had listened to him rant about how none of his sons would be capable of following their father’s legacy, no matter who became emperor.

“All I want right now,” he moved his hand to her cheek, “is to protect you.”

She felt warm as she looked up to find him smiling.

“I can’t be more important than the fucking emperor, can I?”

He laughed. “Vreth. Why can’t you realize just how important you are? Not just to me… but after what you did for Morrowind…”

Dammit. He was gonna make her cry again.

“And I can tell just how much you’re suffering.” He moved to rest his forehead against hers, his face furrowing with concern.

“Caius…” her voice was unsteady, eyes threatening to spill again.

“I know you’re not ready to talk yet,” he said softly, “but I’ll be here to listen when you are.”

“I still don’t understand everything that happened,” her hand found itself on his face, fingers tracing his cheek and jawbone. “How can I expect you to?”

“I don’t know how gods work any more than you do, but that doesn’t mean I won’t try.”

He smiled, and she traced her lips slowly with her thumb before leaning in to kiss him. She lingered for a few seconds before pulling away slightly, only to find herself drawn back in, taking his lips further into hers with each successive kiss until her lips were pushed against his teeth. She breathed in deeply with her nose as she let that familiar warmth wash over her body, pushing every thought out of her mind except _him. Caius._

She exhaled as she broke away, their lips barely an inch away, a string of saliva connecting them.

“I love you, Vreth,” he said in that soft voice he only used in moments like this. “But you already knew that.”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t like to hear it. I love you, too.”

They kissed again, smiling against each other’s lips.

“If you’re up for it tomorrow,” he said slowly and breathlessly, “and the rain slows down, how about we go into the city? We don’t have to do much… but I think you’d feel better if you went outside.”

“I do too,” she smiled. “As long as you’re with me the whole time.”

“Why wouldn’t I?

And they fell into another passionate embrace, thoughts of one another consuming them. And somewhere, far away, in a different realm, another pair of lovers fell into the same passionate embrace. Separated by fate and betrayal, brought together again by mistrust and manipulation, but finally able to put it all behind.

**Author's Note:**

> i can't believe this is the first nerevarine/caius fic here :(


End file.
